Victory in Defeat
by RocketGirl3052
Summary: After Musashi misses out on her fifth ribbon, Kojiro tries to remind her just how far she's come.


Victory in Defeat

by

Digigirl10

* * *

"And the winner is... Hikari and her Pochama!" Momoan exclaimed.

"We did it Pochama!" Hikari said with a smile as she picked her Pokemon up and gave it a big hug.

"Pocha Pocha!"

"This is Hikari's fifth ribbon, meaning she can now enter the prestigious Grand Festival!" Momoan went on.

"The Grand Festival... I can't believe I finally made it." Hikari said with tears in her eyes.

"Good job Hikari!" Satoshi said.

"I guess there was no need to worry after all" Takeshi added.

But there was a need for someone, _somebody's_ to worry. Those people would be Kojiro and Nyasu of the Rocket-Dan. After two regions of complete and utter failure, Musashi had managed to not only win one, but _four_ ribbons. Hikari, however, had just managed to take away Musashi's long awaited goal of the Grand Festival.

"It just isn't fair." Nyasu said. "Musashi deserves to go to the Grand festival more than that brat does."

Kojiro just stood there and sighed. "You're right, but we need to do something. Musashi isn't going to take this very well."

"Yeah." Nyasu said. "But what?"

While Kojiro and Nyasu pondered what to do, elsewhere Musashi just stood dumbstruck. She had only lost by a fraction of a point.

"Habuna..."

Habunake awaked Musashi from her trance.

"Habunake..." Musashi said. "I'm sorry, I let you down. I let all my Pokemon down..." Musashi recalled her previous contest wins, and thought about how they were all meaningless now. Her first ribbon, Dokucale's, especially stung. "Was it all for nothing?" Musashi trailed off, then felt tears beginning to swell in her eyes. She soon realized where she was and quickly recalled her Pokemon, then ran out of the Contest hall.

Outside, Kojiro and Nyasu were still trying to figure out what to do. The more Kojiro thought about all that Musashi had been through, the more upset he got.

"That stupid brat!" Kojiro yelled, clenching his fists. "Musashi deserves better than this."

"Hey, where is Musashi?" Nyasu asked.

Kojiro looked around and realized they should have met up by now. "This is bad." He said to himself, then turned toward Nyasu. "Nyasu, we've got to split up and find Musashi. Who knows what she'll do when she's this upset."

Horrible images of Musashi going on a rampage and terrorizing every person and Pokemon in her path filled Kojiro and Nyasu's minds. _I'll make all of you pay! _Kojiro and Nyasu imagined, as Musashi breathed fire on everything and everyone around her. They sweat dropped at the image.

"Uh, right." Nyasu said worriedly.

But unbeknownst to the two, Musashi wasn't mad, but quite depressed. Musashi leaned on a railing and looked out at the ocean, trying to hold back her tears. It was sunset now.

"I was so close...so _close_ this time!" Musashi clenched her fists as the tears started streaming down her cheeks.

"Musashi, where are you?" Kojiro called out. Kojiro had been searching for ten minutes now, and was starting to get concerned.

"Musa-" Kojiro stopped in his tracks when he saw Musashi staring out at the ocean and breathed a sigh of relief.

_Whew. She's ok after all, and not even hurting anything! _"Hey, Musashi." Kojiro said as he walked toward her.

"Kojiro!" Musashi was so startled she immediately turned around, but then realized tears were running down her face, and quickly turned back and wiped them away.

"Just go away and leave me alone!"

"Musashi... have you been crying?" Kojiro couldn't believe it. He knew Musashi would be upset, but _this_ upset?

"I have not! Just... leave me alone!" Musashi yelled, her back still towards Kojiro. She was starting to shake as she tried to hold off the tears from returning.

Kojiro could see she was shaking, and could hear her try her best to not completely break down.

"Musashi..." Kojiro began getting teary eyed himself and immediately ran up to her, turned her around, and hugged her for all he could.

Musashi gasped as Kojiro did this. But then regained her composure and tried to push him away, but her strength was too drained from trying to keep herself together for her to do anything more than get a few inches from him.

"Kojiro, let go of me!"

"But Musashi..."

"Just go away!"

"No! Please Musashi, let me help you."

The word "help" was just too infuriating for Musashi to hear. She didn't need help from anyone, and she wasn't just going to break down in front of Kojiro like this. Musashi somehow found the strength to push him away.

"I don't need your help. I'm perfectly fine on my own." Musashi said as she crossed her arms and turned away.

"Now where have I heard that before?" Kojiro sarcastically asked.

Musashi turned back to him and glared. "This is different!"

"No, it's not." Kojiro said.

"Yes, it is!" Musashi said. Getting more enraged by the second. "You... you don't understand what this meant...neither of you understand what Contests mean to me!"

Kojiro couldn't believe it. Weren't Contests just something she did for fun? Why was she taking this loss so seriously?

Musashi looked down at the ground, trying as hard as she could to keep fighting back the tears. "Houen... Kanto... Shinou... three regions I've been doing this now. Three regions of utter failure."

"But Musashi! You're not a failure here!"

"Oh? Is there another Contest?"

"Well, no. This was the last of the season."

"Then I've failed here as well." Musashi said flatly

"No you haven't Musashi!" Kojiro yelled and then took Musashi's hands, causing her to look up towards him.

"Houen and Kanto. Yes, neither of those places worked out. But Shinou has been different! You went from nothing to four ribbons!"

"Four worthless ribbons" Musashi said under her breath.

"They're not worthless! They've shown how much you've grown!"

"How Kojiro? How have I grown?" The tears returned to Musashi's eyes, but Musashi didn't care anymore. Kojiro didn't understand, and she doubted he even cared all that much. "I should be up there right now getting my ribbon!" Musashi broke away from Kojiro and pointed to the Contest Hall as she said this. "But instead the best I can do is just watch from the stands as usual."

"Musashi..." Kojiro reached out to her, but Musashi just slapped his hand away with the one she had been pointing with.

"No, Kojiro! Just stop that! You tell me just how I've grown!"

Kojiro gasped. Not quite believing Musashi could be this upset. "You don't cheat! You need to anymore!" Kojiro yelled.

"Maybe I should have..." Musashi said, feeling completely defeated, unable to control her shaking, and just barely stopping the tears from falling down her face.

"No, you shouldn't have! Musashi..." But Kojiro couldn't finish his sentence. His best friend was standing there nearly crying. Not to try and get away with something, but because she was in real pain. Kojiro hugged her once again, and he held her even tighter than before. He couldn't let her get away this time. Musashi tried to push him away, but it wasn't going to be so easy this time.

"You can try again next time! Just like you always have!" Kojiro yelled, trying to keep himself together, as he was having trouble not crying himself. Seeing Musashi is pain was almost too much for him to bear.

"Kojiro, I'm warning you..." Musashi tried as best she could to get out of this before she completely lost it. Perhaps threatening him would get him to let her go.

"Musashi, you're the strongest person I know! You've saved me more times that I can remember. Please, let me be the strong one for once!"

Musashi's legs started to get weak, and she and Kojiro fell into a heap on the ground. Musashi couldn't hold it in anymore, and finally gave in and allowed herself to cry into Kojiro chest and clutched his shirt. Musashi was crying not just because of the pain, but because she had completely broken down in front of Kojiro. It wasn't that she didn't want Kojiro to be strong, but she hated looking weak.

"I'm not crying you know!" Musashi somehow managed to get out, trying to save as much face as possible.

Kojiro smiled and rubbed her head. "I know." Tears started to visibly swell in his eyes now. He was so glad Musashi was letting him comfort her for once. After all the times she had saved him, it was nice to at least partially return the favor. But Kojiro could only listen to her cry for so long before it started to really get to him. He knew he had to say something.

"Musashi, I know I don't understand how you feel about all of this, and you don't need to explain, but... "Kojiro paused, trying to word this carefully. "But, I'm really proud of you."

Musashi stopped crying and looked up at Kojiro.

"What?"

"I said, I'm proud of you." Kojiro looked into her eyes and smiled. Trying to make sure she knew he truly meant this.

"For what?" Musashi couldn't understand what there was to be proud of.

"For everything you've managed to accomplish! The summer school, your ribbons... you've worked so hard and always gave it your best, and didn't try to cheat those times."

Musashi's eyes widened. He was right, she hadn't tried to cheat much at all as of late. But, Kojiro was proud of her because of this?

"But Kojiro, I failed at the summer school, I failed at getting my fifth ribbon! How can you possibly be proud of me?"

"I told you. Because you tried your best." Kojiro said sweetly.

Musashi got a very confused look on her face. "Kojiro, are you feeling ok?"

Kojiro gave her a big grin. "Never better. I know it seems silly, but after failing so often as part of the Rocket-Dan, I can't help but be proud of you when you've come so far from how things used to be. Winning four ribbons is still a huge accomplishment! We usually never win at anything."

"I... guess so..." Musashi was still a little confused and it looked like Kojiro really meant what he was saying. "But... "

Kojiro could see he was finally starting to reach her, so he decided to lay it all on the line.

"Musashi, you know I would've done something for you if I could have, right?"

"What? Really?" Musashi was honestly surprised at how much Kojiro cared.

Kojiro frowned. She really didn't understand how much he cared. He took off her glasses from her Musalina outfit, took her hands in his own, and looked deep into her eyes. He had to make her understand this.

"Yes, Musashi. You're my very best friend and I'd go anywhere and do anything to make you feel better. I can't stand to see you like this!" Tears started to stream down Kojiro's face.

"K... Kojiro..." A blush appeared on Musashi's face. Musashi couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Do you understand now? Do you understand how much I care?" Kojiro had a pleading look on his face, and wanted desperately for Musashi to understand. He was so focused on her eyes he didn't even notice the blush.

"I... think I do..." Musashi said, still blushing and shocked at what Kojiro was implying.

"I'm glad." Kojiro smiled, happy he was finally getting through to her. As he stared into her eyes, a blush started to appear on Kojiro's face as well. His smile faded and a startled look appeared on his face instead. _Wait, what's going on? What's this strange feeling..._

"Kojiro..." Musashi started feeling a little strange herself.

Kojiro was trying to figure out what exactly he was feeling until Musashi closed her eyes and leaned in toward his mouth. Kojiro was shocked. _Is she about to..._ his first instinct was to pull away, but for some reason he just couldn't. He didn't fully understand why, but he closed his eyes and leaned toward her until they kissed. For some reason, it just felt like the right thing to do.

As they kissed, all the pain Musashi felt faded away._ He loves me. That must be what Kojiro was trying to say!_ The thought of this made Musashi ecstatic and she started kissing him more passionately. The idea of someone truly being in love with her and accepting her for who she was turned out to be Musashi's biggest turn-on.

Kojiro didn't know what to think. One moment he's consoling his best friend, and now they're... kissing? This wasn't what was supposed to happen. But if Musashi needed this, he couldn't just say no. He said he'd do anything for her after all. Kojiro thought this would just be one quick kiss and that was it. But as he was about to pull away, he realized just how good this felt, and the feeling got even more intense when Musashi started kissing more aggressively. He couldn't help but kiss her back just as passionately, and they both wrapped their arms tightly around each other. Before they realized what was happening, they both started falling toward the ground...

"Musashi!" Nyasu yelled.

Musashi and Kojiro opened their eyes.

"Musashi, where are you?" Not only was Musashi missing, but Nyasu had no clue where Kojiro went as well.

Musashi and Kojiro suddenly realized Nyasu was approaching and quickly broke the kiss and stood up as if nothing had happened. Musashi has also changed back into her Rocket-Dan uniform.

"Musashi, there you are! And Kojiro, you found her!"

"Uh, I sure did! Heh heh." Kojiro scratched the back of his head, trying to act like nothing had happened.

"Musashi, are you ok? We were getting a little worried."

"Oh, I'm fine now. We're both fine aren't we?" Musashi looked at Kojiro and smiled, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Yep! Fine fine fine!" Kojiro added. Not doing as well at hiding it.

"Uh, great! Let's get back to camp and I'll fix us some dinner." And by fix, Nyasu meant take out the three crackers he had been saving.

"Right." Musashi and Kojiro both said nodding their heads. They both looked at each other for a second with a little sorrow in their eyes, but then smiled, put what nearly happened out of their heads for the time being, and headed toward camp fixated on the future. A future that always held promise for the Rocket-dan, but suddenly seemed a little brighter.


End file.
